Voices in the Deep
by sbdrag
Summary: Ordered to the world of Zesmeni to quell a Krogan war band that had attacked an Aasari colony, Cabal Vengeful Spirit was surprised to be assaulted by Asari instead. That is, until their Kabalim and their pilot joined the enemy side of the fray. Cnasius Ramtis, an engineer on the Cabal, is the only one to survive the betrayal.
1. Prelude: Smoke Dreams

Cnasius couldn't focus. His body felt like one giant ache, and his left side burned. He could see them, see it all, but it was blurry and faded. He slipped in and out of consciousness, dreams and reality combining before him.

Anlonia, her light green facial markings standing out on her dark carapace, pausing to look back at him, broken and dying on the ground. Her eyes look sad, like they had a few hours before. Her voice reverberates around his skull, echoing like it's coming from some distance place. _I'm tired of living like this, Cnasius. And you want to bring children into it?_

Behind her is Kabalim Salotia. Thier leader. She doesn't look back as she boards the Scavenger. He can hear her, too, from another time. _We make the choices we can live with. Sometimes, we really pretend that we can._

His eyes flicker, unable to focus. He sees Tertinus. His mentor, more of a father to him than his own. His eyes have rolled back. The asari woman did that, killed him somehow as he ran out to help. In the beginning, Cnasius had resented being left out of some combat situations. Tertinus had advised him then. _All I need to know is that I've kept my men alive._

There's smoke and ash everywhere now. They set off explosives to destroy the building. Whatever purpose it had held, it was no longer necessary. Blinking the sting from his eyes, the dying turian saw another member of his unit.

Serbius, his rival. They had always been competing, from sparring to women. There was now a bloody blue gash where another asari woman had ripped out his heart with biotics. They'd sparred before this mission. Cnasius could still picture the arrogant glint in his eye. _You're going to have to do better than that to keep up with me, Cnasius._

Past Serbius is a turian corpse further away. Cnasius can't make out the details, but he knows who it is. Veratia, his long time best friend. Gunned down by Anlonia as she tried to make a run for cover. Cnasius feels sick looking at her, even as a happier image of her pops into his mind. _Come on, are you just going to mope in here all day?_

He looks away, only to see Sercus, laying next to her. The sniper's body stands up like a macabre card tower; his body snapped cleanly in half by a biotic blast. Cnasius can see his eyes, wide and staring in shock. _Just remember to breath, kid, and you'll do fine._

Someone is crying nearby. Another asari. She's leaning next to him, staunching his wounds with biotics. He lost an arm. He looks away from that, sees Octavius. There's not much left of the heavy weapons and explosives expert; his weapon had been overheated and blew up in his hands. Cnasius could still hear his booming laugh, even as his eyes were drawn to the turian next to him.

Tullvius. Octavius had gotten off a shot with his rocket launcher, but the asari had redirected it. The blast had taken off Cnasius's arm, but it had killed the cabal's field medic. The man had never been pleasant, but he hadn't deserved this. _It's nothing personal. I think you're all annoying._

That left Publimus. Cnasius could see him, but his mind recalled the way Salotia had shot him in the head as soon as the technician had hacked into the building's defenses and disarmed them. The man had always been odd, wired a bit differently, but it had made him effective. Cnasius closed his eyes as he remembered something the hacker had told him before. _Loopholes, alternate paths. Look hard enough, you always find one._

The turian's mind replayed these memories, but it focused on one. Anlonia, his former lover, looking back with those sad eyes. She'd broken things off just before they'd landed. He could still see it in her eyes, her last words to him. _I'm… sorry, Cnasius. Or maybe I'm not. Just… good bye, Cnasius._

Cnasius could stay conscious much longer than that, and fell into a black sleep.


	2. Captain Tah'hral

Cnasius woke up slowly. Everything hurt. He was staring up at a metal ceiling, but it took some time for his eyes to register what he was seeing. He tried to sit up, and the effort made him groan. He was surprised when someone helped him.

"Oh, oh good, you're, you're awake," the woman, a teal-skinned asari, said. She was frowning, and seemed both nervous and relieved. "I… I was worried you weren't going to make it."

"Who…" Cnasius paused, closing his eyes as his vision swam. He took deep breaths, steadying himself with his hands against the floor. Hand. The turian opened his eyes, looking down at himself. Oh, right, of course. He had lost an arm back there.

"Nyxanis," the asari said. She seemed young, always looking up from a bowed head. "My… my name. It's Nyxanis. Nyxanis T'Leneur. If… if that's what you were going to ask."

"Cnasius," the turian said. "Ramtis. What happened?"

"After… after your friends… left, with the others," Nyxanis said, still bolstering Cnasius's left side, "They blew up the monastery, and… and then a ship came by and… and it, it picked us up."

"What kind of ship?" Cnasius asked, pulling away from the asari. The woman didn't seem to know what to do with her hands after that, but settled for putting them in her lap. She kept her head bowed, glancing to the left constantly as she spoke.

"I… I don't…"

"Batarian pirates," another person said. Cnasius looked up to see a drell woman picking at her teeth, leaning against the wall. There was an energy barrier next to her. She blinked slowly, with both lids, before speaking again. "You would have been luckier to have died, you ask me."

"Who are you?" Cnasius asked.

"Ariidna," the woman replied. "Assassin. Hired by some rival to off the captain of this rig, Tah'hral. Had some bad luck, got I'm stuck in here with you two and sunshine over there."

Cnasius turned to look to the other side of the cell. There was a krogan seated against the wall there. He had his eyes closed. His crest was blue, which struck the turian as odd, but he hadn't seen many krogan without their helmets on before.

"My name is Zrurlok Wrur, drell," the krogan rumbled. He cracked a matching blue eye open. "You're missing half your face, turian."

"I can feel that much," Cnasius said. The blast had taken his left mandible as well as his arm, and it made talking hurt. That half of his face ached worse than anything else, each movement causing a blossom of pain in his jaw.

"Guessin' there's a story behind it," the krogan asked. "Share yours and I'll share mine. Not much else to do in this shithole."

"My unit was betrayed," Cnasius said. "Our Kabalim turned against us. Left me for dead. Would have been, if…"

The turian trailed off, looking at Nyxanis. She still had her hands resolutely in her lap, and looked to the side.

"Why did you save me?" he asked. "The others went with Kabalim and Anlonia, but you…"

"I… I didn't want to… to escape, like they did," the asari said. "I just… I… I don't want to hurt anyone."

"I don't understand," Cnasius said. "Escape? What was that place? A prison?"

"No," Nyxanis said. "No, not… not exactly. It is… it was… a monastery. For… for us. For those… like us."

"Those like you?" the turian pressed. Nyxanis closed her eyes tightly, and when she spoke, it was almost a whisper.

"Ardat-Yakshi," she said. Cnasius opened his mouth as if to speak, but paused. He gave her a long, hard look, then looked back to the krogan.

"So, what's your story?" he asked. Wrur grunted.

"About the same, but not so personal," he said. "I'm part of a group called the Blue Suns. We were hired out by Tah'hral and her goons to do some grunt work. Turns out she meant for us to just be cannon fodder. I was the only one to make it out. Tah'hral didn't pay up, and instead took the goods and claimed we botched the job. Guess it could be worse."

"I don't see how," Ariidna replied.

"We could have been on a slaver instead of a pirate ship," Wrur replied. "Then they'd already have us chipped up and ready for sale to our new batarian masters."

"Well thank Arashu for that," Ariidna shot back, throwing up her hands. "Now all we need is to ask them to pretty please let us go, and they'll just throw the doors wide open and wave us off with a stern warning."

"Don't try my patience, drell," the krogan warned. "Or I'll send you to your gods gladly. You won't have to worry about the batarians then."

"Right, like you could kill me, sunshine," Ariidna replied, rolling her eyes.

"Please, stop," Cnasius asked, attempting to stand. It was difficult without his left arm, but Nyxanis was there to support him as he rose. She stayed on his weak side, acting as a crutch. "My head feels like I got into a headbutting contest with a krogan. No offense."

"Sounded more like a compliment to me," Wrur said, eyes glinting with amusement. "But you'd be bleeding a lot more if you had."

Cnasius chuckled bitterly.

"I wouldn't really know," he said. "You're the first krogan I've met I wasn't trying to kill."

"Give it time," Wrur replied. "I've heard I'm good at getting on people's nerves."

"No kidding…" Ariidna replied, as Nyxanis helped Cnasius up to the forcefield. He studied the energy, reaching out his right hand to touch it with his biotics. The field pushed back against him, forcefully, knocking him and the asari back.

"Only thing that will break through that field is a concentrated biotic field of equal or greater strength, slave," a batarian, clad in bright gold armor, spat as she walked into view. Her skin was a deep, very ruddy brown. She smiled. "And I doubt you're in any condition to produce one, and your asari whore hasn't used hers since we sealed up your wounds."

"Evenin', Captain," Wrur said, standing. The krogan's stance was relaxed, but Cnasius recognized the easy patience of a veteran fighter. It was the same feeling he got watching Salotia and Sercus in action. Captain Tah'hral laughed, an ugly, mangled sound.

"A krogan gentleman, aren't you a riot," she said. She was followed behind by a wrinkled, gray salarian with a small, floating medical tray. A combat drone flew on his other side. The captain herself was escorted by two batarian guards. "The doc here is going to check out your wounds, slave. Make sure they haven't festered. Get in there, Raelian."

The salarian shuffled into the cell as the captain disarmed the field. Nyxanis helped Cnasius sit up as the doctor looked over the cauterized wounds. After some time, the salarian shuffled out again and nodded. Captain Tah'hral resealed the cell, and gave the prisoners a final smile as she left.

"Help me up, Nyxanis," Cnasius said as the hall door closed behind the batarians. The asari did as she was bid, bolstering the turian as he limped over to the wall next to the forcefield. "Please, move aside."

"What are you going to do?" Ariidna asked, but moved anyways. "You'll just kill yourself trying to break the forcefield, and it still won't be enough to save the rest of us. And your little girlfriend won't use her biotics to help-"

Cnasius ignored her, using his biotics to rip away part of the wall.

"Tah'hral thinks she captured a soldier," he said, easing himself in front of the paneling. His eyes scanned the wires and circuits. Satisfied, he nodded, and stood with Nyxanis's help again.

"Didn't she?" Ariidna asked, watching with interest. Cnasius chuckled bitterly again, then used his biotics to rip out some of the circuitry, disabling the energy field.

"No, she caught an engineer," he said. He took a step away from the asari, finding his balance. He limped on his left side, but he could manage. He turned to the others. "Who's ready to get off this shoddy rig?"

"And how exactly are we gonna do that?" Ariidna asked. "We have no weapons, no armor, half a turian and a defunct asari."

"I'll take my chances," Wrur said, stepping away from the wall. "Always liked a man with a quad."

"This isn't bold, it's insane!" Ariidna said. "But I guess I'm just wasting my breath on a krogan."

"I… I think… maybe I should… I should stay… here…" Nyxanis said. Cnasius shook his head, putting a hand on the asari's shoulder. She glanced up at him, then away.

"You're coming with me. I need your help to find Salotia and the others," he said. Nyxanis crossed her arms, biting her lip as she looked at the turian then away.

"Will you... are you going to… to kill them?" she asked. Cnasius's eyes were hard.

"My cabal had a name, and it was Vengeful Spirit," he said. "If I'm alive, then I'll live up to our unit's spirit. I owe them that."

"... alright," Nyxanis said, quietly.

"Well, let's get going if we're going," Ariidna said, storming ahead. "If we're going to do this, it needs to be fast, before they catch on that we're missing."

"She's right," Wrur said, and Cnasius nodded, and followed behind the drell assassin. It was then that the door opened and two batarian guards entered the room. They had barely raised their weapons when Ariidna struck.

She broke one's arm, then used his weapon to shoot the second as he rounded on her. He hit the wall, and she shot him in the head, his face splattering the wall. She then knocked the first one to the ground and dealt with him the same way.

"Pistol's mine, you guys grab whatever's left and follow me," the drell said, moving on. Cnasius took the second batarian's pistol. Wrur took both an assault rifle and a shotgun.

"And she calls me sunshine…" he remarked, but followed after her in any case. Cnasius and Nyxanis came last, the turian doing his best to keep up with his limp. However, Ariidna proved very effective at leaving a clear path for them. They were nearing the escape pods when Captain Tah'hral's voice cracked over the intercom.

"The slaves have escaped! Find them, or I'll skin the lot of you!" she yelled. Ariidna swore, ducking and running. She seemed to glide from one shadow to another, but in the wrong direction.

"Where's she going?" Cnasius asked, but Wrur just shrugged.

"Let's just keep moving, we're almost free," the krogan said. Wrur wasn't as effective as eliminating targets before they spotted the trio, but the krogan still put them down. Hard. Sometimes barreling into them with enough force to crack bones.

They made it to the escape pods, and Cnasius was desperately trying to override the manual lock when they were pinned by a large group of batarians. Captain Tah'hral herself was with them, and she sneered a smile over her men.

"Did you really think you could rely on an assassin?" she asked, hands behind her back. "Or that you could escape? Like that?"

"Worth a shot," Wrur said, weapon at the ready.

"Put it down, slave," Tah'hral said, snarling. Nyxanis was hiding behind Cnasius and shaking. The turian shook his head, then ripped up the control panel with his biotics. "Not another move!"

"That's my line," Ariidna said, from behind the batarian line. She had a red skinned batarian in front of her, pistol pressed to her head.

"Darajul! You stupid girl, how did you manage to get caught?" Tah'hral demanded, eyes blazing. The hostage hissed.

"You think I planned this, mother?" she asked. Tah'hral growled, then turned to her men.

"Stand down! Make room for the cur!" she ordered. The men did as they were bid, albeit hesitantly. Keeping her prisoner close, Ariidna made her way to her fellow escapees.

"Bout time you showed up, drell," Wrur said, as Cnasius worked on the pod release.

"Did I make you worry, sunshine?" Ariidna replied.

"You're all going to pay," Darajul growled. "Once I get free of you-"

"Got it!" Cnasius said, cutting her off as the pod doors hissed open. He ushered Nyxanis in first, then entered after her, and Wrur followed behind.

"Now, release my daughter, slave!" Tah'hral demanded. Ariidna laughed.

"So you can blast the pod once we're far enough? I don't think so," she said, pressing the pistol into Darajul's face. "I'll let her go once I'm safe, with enough credit to contact you with her coordinates."

"You'll regret this, drell," Tah'hral said, glaring as Ariidna and her hostage backed into the pod. The doors shut before the assassin could reply, as Cnasius started up the pod.

"Doubt it," Ariidna said, pushing Darajul into one of the empty seats. The batarian hissed, but strapped in. Ariidna sat across from her, pistol at the ready. Wrur was on her other side, and Nyxanis next to her. It was crowded in the small pod, knees brushing against each other on all sides.

"We're the nearest port?" Cnasius asked.

"Who cares? Set coordinates for Omega," Ariidna replied. "That's where my ship is."

"It's also a good place to disappear," Wrur added. "If a little unwelcoming at first."

"There's an understatement," Ariidna said, rolling her eyes. Cnasius was breathing heavily, too tired to protest. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, his vision was beginning to swim again. The turian barely got the coordinates off before he almost fell out of his seat. Wrur caught him, pushing him up so that Nyxanis could strap him in.

"Great, our pilot's out," Ariidna said.

"Surprised he made it this far," the krogan replied. "Wounds like that, they cut pretty deep."

"What? Got a soft side, sunshine?" Ariidna asked. Wrur growled.

"I was making an assessment," he said. "Kid's not right in the head. Can screw a soldier up more than any physical wound."

"He's not a soldier, remember," Aridina replied, glaring at Darajul. The batarian glared right back.

"He's a turian," the krogan replied. "It's close enough."

"Will… will he be… alright?" Nyxanis asked. Wrur looked at her, considering.

"Yeah. Once he gets patched up, he'll be fine," the krogan said. The asari was watching the turian, like she was unsure what to do to help. Her hand hovered over his, but then withdrew, back to her lap.

"My mother is going to kill all of you," Darajul said.

"Let her try," Ariidna replied, settling in her seat as well as she could. That was the end of conversation in the pod.


	3. Omega

"All hands report to the bridge for the mission brief. I repeat, all hands to the bridge for the mission brief."

Cnasius groaned as he woke up, shaking his head to clear it. He felt like he'd had some kind of twisted dream about the upcoming mission, something about pain and fire. Kabalim Domilin's voice over the intercom had managed to wake him in the middle of it, but he couldn't remember what it was anymore. With a sigh, he rose, getting dressed quickly. He was sleeping on his scheduled down time, but that didn't excuse him from a mission briefing.

"Nice of you to join us, Ramtis," Serbius Maxinis, a light carapaced turian with red facial markings, quipped as he entered the bridge last.

"Ignore him," Veratia Sabenius, a female turian with the more traditional white facial markings, replied, rolling her eyes. Cnasius would have said something himself, but then the Kabalim began speaking.

"We're headed to the planet Zesmeni," she said, pulling up a holographic display of the planet. "There's a small asari colony located here. It's currently under attack by krogan insurgents looking to claim the planet for themselves. It's a cut and dry run. We put them down, and we get out. The atmosphere of Zesmeni is methane-ammonia, so keep your helmets on until we're inside the compound. The asari have held their own so far, but they've gotten locked into the inner section of the compound. Fellus, you'll be in charge of disabling those defenses to allow us to enter and wipe out the remaining krogans. Dexitis will stay behind to guard the ship. Any questions?"

"How big is the force we're facing here?" Sercus Ramigius, whose carapace was almost black, asked. One of his eyes was covered by a layer of film, and practically useless. It had never slowed him down much.

"Indeterminate," the kabalim replied. "No more than fifty, no less than twenty-five. Think you can handle it?"

"Just remind not to have too much fun, Kabalim," the turian replied. Domilin nodded curtly, as if the answer had been completely serious.

"Anyone else?" she asked. When no one replied, she continued. "We should spot the planet by thirteen hundred hours. Make sure you're prepared. Dismissed."

They dispersed. There were only ten members of their cabal, though their ship was outfitted to hold up to twenty, just in case. Cnasius waited just outside the command center, and so had an opportunity to watch the others leave. Publimus Fellus simply went to a nearby terminal, while Anlonia Egnagatus resumed manual control of the ship. Sercus was probably headed to quarters to catch a nap, while Tertinus Dexitis was off for the engine room. Tullvius Aetdos, the cabal's medical professional, paused to speak with him before heading for the med bay.

"Don't forget your pre-mission check this time, Ramtis," he said, barely glancing up from from his tablet to remind him. It wasn't that Cnasius had something against medical; it was more that no one really liked doctor Aetdos. Veratia waved as she left with Octavius Recemius, who painted his facial markings in bright orange and red. It was a hint at his underlying love of making things explode. Serbius was the last to leave, and made sure to give Cnasius his most winning look as he passed by. Cnasius rolled his eyes at that, but it left him mostly alone. Quietly, he walked up to the cockpit.

"How's she holding?" he asked. Anlonia glanced at him, the back forward.

"Fine. You and Dexitis did a good job fixing her up since our last mission," she said. Cnasius nodded, then glanced back at Kabalim Domilin. The kabalim caught his eyes, glanced at Anlonia, and nodded, once.

"Can we talk?" Cnasius asked. Anlonia looked up at him, back at the kabalim, then sighed.

"Fine," she said, and switched the ship to automatic. They left the bridge, and went into one of the more private alcoves in the common area. "I'm guessing this is about our last conversation?"

"Have you given it any thought?" Cnasius asked, leaning back against the wall. Anlonia sighed, and looked out over the common area.

"I… I don't know," she said. "I mean, what we have… it's good, but… Cnasius, you can't really be serious."

"What do you mean?" the engineer replied. Serbius, Octavius and Veratia were in the common area, mostly pretending to mind their own business. Anlonia scoffed, looking at him.

"Us? Start a family?" she asked. "I mean, it's crazy."

"What's so crazy about it?" Cnasius asked. "I want to be with you. I thought you wanted that too."

"I do," Anlonia said. "You know I do. But… I just don't think we should go further than that."

"What do you mean?" Cnasius asked. "Don't you want-"

"Cnasius, if we had kids, they'd… they'd be like us, Cnasius," Anlonia said.

"Of course they would," he replied. "That's kind of the point, Anlonia."

"I mean… they'd be… they'd have biotics," Anlonia said.

"So?" Cnasius asked. Anlonia scoffed.

"So?" she repeated. "They'd be freaks, Cnasius. Everyone always second guessing them, looking at them like they have some kind of disease."

"Is that really how you see us?" Cnasius asked. Anlonia sighed.

"I'm tired of living like this, Cnasius," she said. "And you want to bring children into it?"

"Don't worry, we can handle this," Cnasius said. "You don't want to have kids, that's fine. We'll work it out. We can adopt, or-"

"I don't think you understand," Anlonia said. "I don't want to force you to do something you don't want to do."

"What do you mean?" Cnasius asked.

"You want kids. You'll always want kids. A family. And I'm… I'm not that kind of girl," Anlonia said.

"So… that's it?" Cnasius asked. He felt like he'd been punched. Anlonia sighed again.

"I'm… sorry, Cnasius. Or maybe I'm not, she said. She took a step away, then paused, looking back at him. "Just… good bye, Cnasius."

She walked away. Cnasius stood, dumbstruck. He didn't notice the others clear out of the common area. After a time, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at Tertinus, his mentor.

"Come on, we've got work to do," the older turian said. Cnasius nodded, and went with his fellow engineer into the bowels of the ship.

There wasn't much real work to be had, given they'd just repaired the ship from their last mission, but there were always calibrations. Cnasius was working on one when something hit his head. He looked up to see Veratia offering him a hand.

"Come on, are you just going to mope in here all day?" she asked. Cnasius sighed, taking her hand.

"You've got a better idea?" he asked. Veratia laughed.

"Well, I can think of a few things, I'm sure," she said. "But I've got one in particular I think might help. Come with me, I already cleared it with old Dexitis."

"If you say so," Cnasius said, following the female turian. They came to a room on the ship reserved for sparring. Octavius and Serbius were already there, having a match.

"If it isn't the man who thinks he can fix anything," the latter said as he spotted him. It earned him a hard punch from Octavius.

"Don't be an ass, Serbius," Veratia said. "It's not like Anlonia's leaping into your arms, either."

"Not yet," Serbius replied, picking himself up. Cnasius sighed.

"This is supposed to help?" he asked, looking at Veratia. His friend shrugged.

"Punching Serbius in the face couldn't _hurt_ ," she replied. Cnasius chuckled despite himself.

"Give him a good one," Octavius said, slapping the younger turian on the back as he let Cnasius take his place.

"Oh, I will," he said, squaring off. Serbius scoffed, getting set himself.

"Bring it on," he said. It felt good, Cnasius had to admit, to be able to lash out at something. He and Serbius sparred fairly often, given they considered each other rivals, and so they fell into a pattern. Serbius always pulled left, Cnasius dodged a moment before he needed to. Cnasius missed, and barely blocked a kick from Serbius.

"You're going to have to do better than that to keep up with me, Cnasius," he jeered, and the engineer used the moment to surprise him with a left hook.

"Better?" he asked. Serbius snorted, and they were back at it.

"Ramtis to medical," Aetdos said over the intercom, interrupting. "Now, Ramtis."

With a sigh, Cnasius and Serbius shook hands. As he left, Octavius and Veratia squared off, Serbius taking a break to catch his breath.

The medical bay was, as always, cold and sterile.

"Sit," Aetdos said, pointing to one of the medical beds. Cnasius did as he was bid, and the doctor started his examine without a word. Cnasius suffered through it, though it was over relatively quickly. "There, was that so bad?"

"Was it really necessary to put me on blast like that?" Cnasius asked, getting up. Aetdos shook his head, recording his findings.

"No, but consider it a bit of payback," he said. "I find you annoying."

"Thanks, doc," Cnasius said, heading out.

"It's nothing personal," Aetdos replied. "I think you're all annoying."

Passing by the observation bay on his way to his quarters for some shut eye, Cnasius passed. In the distance, there was a dark, blue-purple planet. He turned to face it.

"That's it," Sercus said, surprising him. The sniper stepped next to him. "Zesmeni. Not much to look at."

"Just have other things on my mind," Cnasius said.

"I'll bet," Sercus replied. He clapped the younger turian on the shoulder. "Just remember to breath, kid, and you'll do fine."

"Thanks," Cnasius said, as Sercus walked away. He watched the approaching planet for some time more, then went on.

He dreamed fitfully, in bursts of blurred sound and vision. A teal skinned asari, young, looking down at him with worry etched in her features. He felt like he knew her, somehow, that she held some significance to him.

His vision went black, and next he saw an older, purple skin asari woman with a stern look working over him. There was also a salarian there, they were arguing about something. Money? It was hard to make out anything, they words seemed more like noise. His vision went black again, but the salarian and the asari woman were still there when a krogan walked up.

The krogan seemed to settle the debate, then looked down at Cnasius. His eyes were steadying, and contemplative. From all he'd heard about krogan's, the look seemed out of place. The young asari was nearby, hovering at the edge of his vision. But then his vision went black again, and when he opened his eyes, the ship was landing on Zesmeni.

He was in the hold with the others. He didn't remember getting up, or into his armor. But he didn't question it as the hatch opened and Kabalim Domilin waved them through. It was a short jog to the asari compound, and they deactivated the mass effect fields they'd used to keep out the toxic atmosphere once they were inside. The Kabalim led the way, but something seemed… off. It was quiet, too quiet for a krogan attack. There didn't seem to be any damage to the compound, and they made it to the inner chambers without seeing anyone.

"Fellus," Domilin said, signaling the technician forward. Publimus pulled out a panel, and set to work, hacking into the compounds defenses.

"I don't like this, kabalim," Sercus said, looking around uneasily. Domilin ignored him, watching Publimus at work. Cnasius glanced around. He had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he couldn't pin down why. He had an eerie sense of deja vu. And then the security doors released.

"There, kabalim, it's done," Publimus said.

"Good," Domilin replied, and shot him in the head.

It took everyone a minute to respond. A minute too late, as the doors slid open and three asari walked through. Cnasius jumped away from them and the kabalim, as did Aetdos. Veratia made a run for the ship, and Sercus went to raise his sniper rifle.

"You bare faced-!" Octavious yelled, and turned his rocket launcher on the kabalim and fired.

Cnasius watched it happen in slow motion. One of the asari raised a hand, redirecting the missile so that it hit Aetdos instead. Cnasius was caught in the blast, but he could still see as another asari threw both hands forward, snapping Sercus in half. The third asar smiled as she used her biotics to rip the heart out of a stunned Serbius, just as Anlonia turned and opened fired on Veratia's back.

Cnasius hit the ground. He ears were ringing, and he couldn't hear, couldn't call out as Tertinus ran from the ship, shotgun in hand. One of the asari met him halfway, picking him up and tossing the shotgun aside with her biotics. Then she did something that caused him to go limp. She dropped him, and she and the other two asari entered the ship. Salotia Domilin was behind them, not looking back. And then was Anlonia.

Anlonia looked back. Explosives were going off in the compound. Cnasius could feel the vibrations, as the last asari appeared and rushed to his side. He watched again, as they entered the ship, and he realized that this had been his dream. And that he was still in it.

Cnasius woke up suddenly, heart pounding and eyes flying open. He didn't know where he was, and shoot up, looking around in panic. His eyes stopped on Nyxanis, sitting nearby. Her eyes caught his, widened, then looked down. Cnasius panted, letting himself calm down as memories of the pirate ship flooded back.

"You're… you're awake," Nyxanis said. "That's… that's good. We're on Omega. Well, in, in Omega. In a clinic. The krogan, Wrur, he… he paid for your care. Said… said he was… was paying you back, back fro helping him escape. And he… he paid for the… the arm."

"Arm?" Cnasius asked, and then remembered that he'd lost an arm. He looked down, bringing his hands to his face. He let his right arm drop, looking at the left numbly. It was mechanical. He opened and closed his fingers, turning his hand over and back.

"Very hard to come by, could have been better," a male salarian broke in, coming into view. His skin had a blue tint, and his eyes were green. "But, with cauterization, nerve endings were severed. Had to cut deeper, connect further in. Feel alright? No pain?"

"Nothing physical," Cnasius replied, turning to slide his legs over the side. He braced his hands on the metal bed. It was odd to look at the metal hand and still feel what was under his fingers. The salarian nodded, examining a tablet.

"Good, good, no physical discomfort, good," he said. Then he held out a hand. "Barbok Zanok. Doctor. Usually."

"What are you unusually?" Cnasius asked, shaking. The salarian shrugged.

"Everything else," he said. "My associate and I did you medical work. You've been out for three days. Induced coma. You seemed fitful."

"I was dreaming," Cnasius replied, standing. Everything seemed to be working properly. He tried taking a few steps. No limp.

"Not supposed to dream, hm," the salarian said, checking his notes. A purple skinned asari entered the room.

"You're up, good, we need the bed for others," she said, moving to sanitize the area. "Jos'koya Janunus. You know what she is?"

"What?" Cnasius asked, looking at Nyxanis. The other asari had nodded to her at the last. The doctor sighed.

"Do you know what she is?" Jos'koya repeated. "If you're traveling together, it's none of my business, but you should have fair warning, at least."

"Fair warning about what?" Cnasius asked, keeping an eye on the asari as she moved around the room. She spoke as if Nyxanis wasn't even there.

"She's an Ardat-Yakshi," the doctor said.

"Very interesting specimen," Zanok added, circling the nervous asari.

"She said that, but I don't know what it means," Cnasius said. Jos'koya sighed as if he'd asked her to recite a history passage.

"Ardat-Yakshi are mutants who kill the people they try to mate with, and like it," she said. "I don't know why you're travelling with one, and frankly, I don't care, but try not to get yourself killed."

"I need her," Cnasius replied.

"Is that what she has you believing?" Jos'koya asked.

"No," Cnasius said. "It's the truth. There are three more of them that helped kill my unit, and I need her help to find them."

"Yeah, well, good luck with that," the doctor replied. "Now get out of my clinic, before I have to kick you out."

"I own the clinic, if you recall, Doctor Janunus," Zanok said, as Cnasius collected Nyxanis and made to leave.

"And if I weren't here, you wouldn't have the funds to keep it, so it's as much mine as it is yours," Jos'koya replied.

"Fair point, I suppose," Zanok replied.

"Where… where are we going?" Nyxanis asked, following behind Cnasius. The turian sighed.

"To find information," he said. "If we want to track them down, we need to figure out where they went. Then we'll need a ship."

"I see," Nyxanis replied. Cnasius led them through the busy alleys of the Omega market, or what passed for it, in anycase. Nyxanis stuck close to the turian, making herself as small as possible. She seemed almost afraid of all the people around them.

"What was that compound, anyways?" Cnasius asked.

"What?" Nyxanis asked.

"The compound on Zesmeni. What was it?" the engineer asked again. He was scanning the crowd. He'd been trained in infiltration; he would be able to recognize a source if he saw one. What he really needed was an information broker. Three days was a big head start.

"It... it was, was a monastery," Nyxanis said.

"A monastery?" Cnasius asked. He'd need money, too. Information didn't come cheap. He'd have to move fast, though. Once he used his card, it would lead anyone looking for him or his unit right to Omega.

"For… for us," Nyxanis said. "Ardat-Yakshi, we… we can choose. Choose to live in, in seclusion. Or die."

"That seems… extreme," Cnasius replied, turning to look at Nyxanis. As usual, the asari didn't look him in the eye, instead glancing up and then away.

"The… the part about, about mating? It's… it's addictive. Or, or so we're told. So they… they need us locked up. To, to keep everyone… safe," she said.

"I see," Cnasius said. "So why didn't you try to escape?"

"I…" this time, Nyxanis actually looked the turian in the eye for a full minute before looking away. "I just don't want to hurt anyone."

"Is that why you don't use your biotics?" Cnasius asked. Nyxanis nodded. "So what are you going to do after?"

"I… I imagine I'll be, be executed," the asari replied. "For leaving the monastery."

"You didn't do that on purpose, though," Cnasius replied. Nyxanis shrugged.

"I didn't… didn't call anyone to say, say what happened, either," she said. "It's… it's okay. Maybe… maybe it'll be… better, that way."

"If you say so," Cnasius replied, finally spying who he was looking for. It was a volus, just opening shop. Except he didn't have any goods to display, or even a terminal. The turian made his way over, Nyxanis at his back. He ducked into the little shop, and was greeted immediately.

"Welcome, valued customer!" the volus said. "My name is Harla Verlain. How may I be of service?"

"I'm looking for two turians travelling with three asari on a turian ship called the Scavenger," Cnasius said. He held up a credit chip. "This chip has a hundred thousand credits on it. Tell me what I want to know and it's yours."

"Hm," Harla said, tilting his head one way, then the other. "A hundred thousand won't get you much, but it'll get you something, I suppose. The ship stopped here to resupply, and left, headed for an unknown destination. With one less passenger."

"And where would they be?" Cnasius asked, pulling the credit chip back as the volus reached for it. Harla sighed.

"How should I know? Omega's a big place," he said. "But… it isn't cheap to live here, you understand, and I've heard that the best work to be found is hiring on with the Blue Suns. They're recruiting now, as I understand it."

"Thanks for the tip," Cnasius said, handing the chip to the volus and leaving. It wasn't hard to find the Blue Suns base. All it took was some asking around and a little encouragement.

"Are… are you are about this?" Nyxanis asked, just before Cnasius walked up to the lookout.

"Why do you ask?" he said.

"You just… you… you don't seem… I mean… you're not… upset," Nyxanis said. "You… you said that, that your unit was betrayed, but… but you… you're not… angry, or sad…"

"I feel dead," Cnasius replied. Nyxanis looked up at him, and this time she didn't look away. "You're right, I'm not angry, or sad, or upset. I don't feel anything. Maybe I don't know what to feel. Maybe it just hasn't hit me yet. I don't know. It doesn't feel real. I feel like I'm in some kind of messed up dream, trying to wake up. But it's my duty to avenge my comrades. My… friends."

For the first time, the turian looked a little overwhelmed, and lost. His shoulders slumped, and he looked down. Nyxanis's eyes darted up and down as they took in his change of posture, then away as Cnasius mastered himself and looked up. There was determination in his eyes.

"I… I'm with you," Nyxanis said. Cnasius nodded, then turned and walked up to the look out.

"I heard you're recruiting," he said. The guard was another turian. He looked Cnasius up and down, then nodded.

"Alley round back," he said, jerking his thumb in that direction. Cnasius nodded, and he and Nyxanis went in that direction. There were other recruits there already. Cnasius scanned the crowd, looking for any asari, or anyone he knew. He jumped back when a varren ran up to him suddenly, but the beast stopped, staring happily. Behind him trundled a krogan, one with a blue headplate.

"Well, looks like you survived," Wrur said, leaning down to pet the varren. "This here is Zax. Lucky bastard got hurt on my run before last, otherwise Tah'hral would have had him as mince meat. How's the arm?"

"It works," Cnasius said, hesitantly holding out his right hand. The varren sniffed it, then headbutted it. Wrur seemed to approve. "I hear I have you to thank for it."

"Way I see it, I was just repaying a debt," Wrur replied. "I didn't do much compared to you and the drell to get us off that rustbucket, so I figured it was the least I could do. What are you doing here, anyways?"

"Looking for someone," Cnasius replied. Wrur scratched at his chin.

"This isn't a good place for revenge, turian," he said. "Open fire here, you'll just get yourself killed."

"I don't even have a gun," Cnasius replied. Wrur sighed.

"What exactly were you planning to do?" the krogan asked.

"I don't know," Cnasius replied. "Whatever came to me."

"Do you even know who you're looking for?" Wrur went on. The turian made a noise of frustration, looking over the crowd again.

"A turian or an asari," he said.

"Well, it's not an asari, I'll tell you that much," Wrur said. "Your little friend there is the only asari within two blocks, I'll bet. Wait here."

"Where… where do you think he's, he's going?" Nyxanis asked. Cnasius was still scanning the crowd, but kept an eye out for the krogan. The varren had followed its master.

"I don't know, but- there!" he said, and started moving. He'd caught sight of Anlonia, mixed into the crowd. Nyxanis had to jog to catch up to him when he started moving. "Anlonia!"

The female turian turned to face the voice. When she saw Cnasius, she ran in the opposite direction. With a growl of frustration, Cnasius took off after her, Nyxanis struggling to keep up in his wake.

Anlonia was agile, scaling up a fence and ducking into the window of a building. Cnasius was after her with little effort. They were both fueled by adrenaline, and running hard. Cnasius followed his former teammate with a single minded focus. He didn't even see where he was going, and it was more chance than anything else that Anlonia ran into a dead end.

She turned, back pressed to the wall.

"Cnasius, Cnasius please, don't do this," she said.

"Don't do what?" Cnasius asked. Now he was angry. He could feel it roiling in the pit of his stomach, like boiling pitch. Seeing Anlonia, seeing her run, had sparked it. She reached for a pistol, and Cnasius knocked it away with his biotics. Then he grabbed her by the neck, pushing her up against the wall. "Don't betray my unit? Don't free dangerous asari killers? Don't kill one of my own?"

Anlonia was struggling for breath, hands clutching at Cnasius's metal arm.

"Please… I can… explain…"

"You left me for dead!" Cnasius yelled. "You shot Veratia! You just stood by while the Kabalim shot Publimus! You left with the monsters that killed Octavius and Sercus and Tertinus! You… you…!"

"It was… only… chance…" Anlonia said, and Cnasius dropped her. She dropped to her knees, clutching her throat.

"Your only chance? Chance for what?" he asked.

"A normal life, Cnasius," Anlonia said. "Don't you see? I'm not a freak here. I'm not a mistake."

"I never thought you were!" Cnasius yelled, throwing up his hands. Anlonia sighed, looking up at him.

"How could you, Cnasius? You aren't any different from me," she said. "Didn't you ever get tired of the stares? The whispers? The look of distrust wherever we went? Just because we were born with biotics? Didn't you ever just want people to treat you like you were normal?"

"I never cared about them," Cnasius said. "I had Veratia, and Tertinus, and even Octavius and Serbius. And I thought I had you."

"I'm sorry, Cnasius," Anlonia said. "I didn't want it to be like this."

"Neither did I," Cnasius said. He leaned down to be eye level. "Where did they go, Anlonia?"

"... last I heard, they were headed for Triginta Petra," she said. Cnasius rose, pulling Anlonia up with him. He pulled back his metal fist, and she closed her eyes.

"Don't."

Cnasius started at a hand on his turned to see Wrur. Nyxanis was behind him, at the entrance to the alley. The krogan's stare was hard, and Cnasius felt himself start to shake.

"Why not?" he demanded. Wrur let go of his shoulder.

"Look at her," he said. "She's pathetic. She's not worth killing."

"She deserves it!" Cnasius yelled, and pushed her into the wall. Wrur sighed, and handed the turian a pistol.

"You really want to kill her, fine, what do I care?" he said. Cnasius took the pistol, and aimed it at Anlonia's head. Wrur turned, headed back down the alley. "But if you ask me, she hasn't earned such an easy death."

Cnasius fired. Then again, and again, until the gun got too hot and wouldn't shoot. Anlonia sunk to her knees. There was a smoking gouge next to where her head had been. Cnasius lowered the weapon, breathing heavily, then turned and stormed out of the alley. Wrur and Nyxanis were nearby, the former leaning against a wall. Cnasius shoved the gun against his chest.

"Here," he said. Wrur straightened, pushing the gun back.

"Keep it," he said. "You'll need it more than I will. Come on."

"Why?" Cnasius asked. Wrur sighed.

"By the sounds of it, you need a ship," he said. "Just so happens, I know someone who needs an engineer."

"... fine," the turian said, stomping after the krogan. Nyxanis followed behind, arms wrapped around herself. Wrur led them to a dock, where they followed the sound of cursing to a good sized ship of indeterminate build.

"Drell, I have a proposition for you," Wrur called out. Ariidna emerged from the ship, oils smudged and irritated.

"What do you want, sunshine? I'm trying to get this bitch off the ground," she said.

"Seems to me you could use an engineer," the krogan went on conversationally. Cnasius looked over the ship. Human make, probably. Some of the add ons were turian and asari. He could work with it.

"Yeah, how much?" Ariidna asked.

"Trip to Triginta Petra," the krogan replied. Cnasius looked at him again. Wrur winked at him.

"You're shitting me," Ariidna replied. "Do you know what the cost of fuel is for-"

"I'll pay for the parts, he fixes it free," the krogan said. "You know anybody else will charge you an arm and a leg. Maybe two."

"... alright, come aboard," the drell said, and led the way into the ship. "Welcome aboard the Amonkira."

"What are they doing here?" Darajul asked as they walked onto the bridge.

"Shouldn't that be my line?" Wrur muttered. Ariidna sighed.

"Darajul here's the one that paid for me to off mommy dearest," the drell said. "At a discount, I might add."

"And you failed, so I guess you get what you pay for," the batarian grumbled.

"Turian's gonna fix the ship, krogan's gonna pay for it," Ariidna said.

"Why?" Darajul asked.

"Ask them, I just get a free ship repair," Ariidna replied.

"As long as we get to Triginta Petra," Cnasius said. Ariidna waved dismissively.

"Right, right, turian farmers, yay," she said. She sat down in the cockpit, and swung the chair around. "What do you even want there, anyways?"

"Revenge," Cnasius said, and made his way to the rest of the ship to assess the damage.

"Yeah, that clears things up…" Ariidna said, leaning back. "What about you, sunshine?"

"Call me curious," he said, finding his own seat. Zax came to lay down at his feet, and Wrur leaned down to pet him.

"Whatever, as long as we get far enough away before my mother realizes I took out that hit on her," Darajul said.

"What about you, asari? What's in this little adventure for you?" Ariidna asked. Nyxanis rubbed her arm, and shrugged.

"I… I just want to help," she said. Ariidna rolled her eyes and gagged.

"Whatever," she said. "Do what you want, I guess. Even if it is for stupid reasons."

It took another day for Cnasius to finish repairs, and then they were off for Triginta Petra.


	4. The Hunt

pOn Zesmeni, a large force of turians were investigating the destroyed compound. Commander Novius Sanction was in charge of the investigation. Looking over the ruins, he sighed. An entire cabal missing, after going rogue on a mission that no one had authorized. Now they had found seven of them dead. And they were still trying to figure out what they were doing here to begin with./p

pOne of the commander's men ran up to him, an asari woman right behind. Novius turned, acknowledging the man's salute./p

p"Justicar Dahlira Tioris, sir," the soldier said, out of breath. He'd probably had to outrun the asari woman to deliver the message before she arrived. /p

p"Dismissed," Novius said to his man. He'd heard of Justicars before, but he'd never seen one. She certainly looked impressive, purple tinged blue skin, protecting herself with a mass effect bubble just over her skin. "To what do I owe the honor, Justicar?"/p

p"Have you ever heard of an Ardat-Yakshi, Commander?" she asked, walking past him to assess the scene herself. /p

p"Can't say that I have," Novius replied. /p

p"Good. If you had, it would have been after tragedy," Dahlira said. "As I can see here. Were these your men?"/p

p"No, but I've been put in charge of finding them," Novius replied. /p

p"You've found them. I suggest you do not dig further, Commander," the Justicar said. "The rest is an asari matter. I will handle things from here."/p

p"I'm afraid that's not all," Novius said. "There are supposed to be three more of them. It's my duty to find them, and to find out what happened."/p

p"How unfortunate, though it does let some pieces fall into place," Dahlira said. "Very well, I shall tell the ship that delivered me to leave. Since we seem to be going to same way, I will accompany you on your ship."/p

p"Am I supposed to be honored?" Novius asked. /p

p"You can be, but it's only a matter of convenience," Dahlira said. "This monastery housed four Ardat-Yakshi, very dangerous asari meant to be isolated from all of society. Some of your men must have helped them escape with their ship."/p

p"You don't think you might be jumping to conclusions, there?" Novius asked, walking fast to keep up with the Justicar's effortless glide. "Who's to say they weren't forced into helping?"/p

p"Forced or not, they helped," Dahlira replied. "And as I cannot foresee a reason for a turian unit to be here in the first place, I can only imagine that they had prior contact with the monastery. At least some of them, in any case."/p

p"If they're as dangerous as you say, how do I know they didn't mind control my men?" Novius shot back. Dahlira sighed./p

p"I do not have time for your petty pride, Commander," she said, rounding on him. /p

p"Excuse me?" Novius demanded. He waved a hand back. "I have seven dead soldiers, Justicar. Seven. This isn't about pride, it's about finding out who killed my damn soldiers!"/p

p"Very well, when we are aboard your ship, I will tell you what I know," Dahlira said. "But we cannot tarry here. Every moment we waste is another life at stake."/p

p"... fine," Novius said. He turned, ordering his men back to the ship. They packed up quickly, and Novius made sure everything was running smoothly before he met the Justicar in his quarters. /p

p"This is a little inappropriate considering our history, don't you think?" asked. Dahlira laughed, holding up a picture of a young turian soldier./p

p"Your daughter?" she asked. Novius sighed, then nodded./p

p"At her first command. I'm very proud," he said. /p

p"I'm sure she's earned that pride," Dahlira said. "Besides, when did you get so serious, Novius?"/p

p"When I was put in charge of other people's lives," the commander replied. "Now, are you going to tell me what brings a Justicar to a mining planet?"/p

p"Very well," Dahlira said, setting the picture down. "This was a monastery for the isolation of Ardat-Yakshi. They're very dangerous; the meld causes them to kill their mates. And it's addictive."/p

p"So we have four asari killers on the loose?" Novius asked. He could feel a headache coming on./p

p"Not necessarily," Dahlira replied. "We isolate them before they kill anyone. They may not have killed since leaving. But killing does cause them to become more and more powerful."/p

p"And that's why you're here," Novius said. Then he sighed. "Well, for all my prickles, in this case, I'm glad to have you aboard."/p

p"I'm glad to hear it, commander," Dahlira said. "Where do you intend to go next?"/p

p"Omega," Novius replied. "The Scavenger wasn't stocked for a long trip; it's the only place nearby they'd be able to resupply without anyone asking questions."/p

p"Let's hope they haven't gone further than that," Dahlira said. Novius nodded his agreement./p

p /p

pCnasius swore as the part he was working on gave off sparks. He shook his natural hand, then looked at it, assessing it for damage. With another curse, he went back to work, forcing the piece into place. Just as he managed it, Zax came bounding into the room and up to him. The turian paused, absently petting the varren as he looked up to see its owner./p

p"Thought you said the repairs were done when we left," the krogan said, looking over his work./p

p"They were," Cnasius said. "But there's always room for calibrations."/p

p"Calibrations, huh?" Wrur asked. "Looks more like running away to me."/p

p"Excuse me?" Cnasius asked. Wrur shrugged, Zax running to bounce around his master's legs. /p

p"I've lost people myself, kid," he said. "My whole clan, in fact."/p

p"Right," Cnasius said, finding a place to sit. "Is this the part where you tell me how revenge is stupid and won't change anything?"/p

p"You seemed to have covered it yourself right there," the krogan replied drily. "I'm not gonna stop you, kid. I took my revenge. I hunted down every last motherfucker who helped kill my clan and sent them to the Void. I won't deny that to anyone else."/p

p"Then what do you want?" Cnasius demanded. Wrur chuckled and shook his head. /p

p"To tell you it doesn't go away," he said. "The voices. The sights. The smells. You're gonna carry their deaths to your grave, kid. Don't think that revenge is gonna shut them up, because it won't."/p

p"Why are you telling me this?" Cnasius asked. Wrur turned, walking out of the engine bay. /p

p"You can't run away from them, kid. They're gonna catch up to you sooner or later," he said. "So don't run away from everyone else, too."/p

pCnasius stared after him, then groaned in frustration and buried his head in his hands. After a few moments, he looked up, to find Zax sitting and staring at him. With a sigh, the turian rose, and wandered into the ship's common area. Nyxanis and Darajul were there; the former looking out an observation window, the latter cleaning a sniper rifle. Cnasius moved across the room to stand next to the asari, looking out the window./p

p"I had a friend," he started, startling Nyxanis, "Who told me she liked to look at the stars before a mission because it reminded her of how much more was out there."/p

p"I… I am… afraid I don't… understand," the asari said. Cnasius shrugged./p

p"Neither did I," he said. "It's just… it reminded me of her. You standing here, I mean."/p

p"Oh I… I see," Nyxanis said. "She was… was there, then?"/p

p"... yeah," Cnasius said, looking out at the stars. "She was there."/p

p"... were… were you… really going to, to shoot her?" Nyxanis asked. Cnaius looked at her. The asari looked away. "I just… I was just… wondering."/p

p"... no," Cnasius said, looking back out of the window. "I wanted to. No, that's not it. I wanted to want to."/p

p"What… what does the mean?" Nyxanis asked. Cnasius was silent for some time before answering./p

p"I was angry. It felt like I was burning with it, like I just had to lash out and hurt something. Anlonia made sense. We were… together, for five years, and friends before that. And then she helped betray us. I watched her shoot my best friend in the back. But… but at the same time, I still had… strong feelings for her."/p

p"You… you didn't… love her?" Nyxanis asked. She watched the turians profile as he spoke. Cnasius sighed, putting a hand against the glass. It was his left, the mechanical one. Seeing his hand seemed to surprise him, and he pulled it back, turning it over as he examined it./p

p"I did once. Maybe I still do. I don't know. Things got… distant, towards the end. We didn't fight, but… it felt like we were just going through the motions. She broke things off," Cnasius said. "Looking back, maybe I was the only one that didn't see it coming."/p

p"That sounds awful," Nyxanis said softly, looking out at the stars. Cnasius looked at her, letting his hand drop. He watched her for a few moments./p

p"What can you tell me about the others?" he asked. Nyxanis glanced at him, then away./p

p"Shianis is their, their leader, I guess," she said. "She… she used to mostly run the, the monastery. She's… she scares me. Reminds me of my, my sister."/p

p"Your sister?" Cnasius asked. Nyxanis nodded./p

p"I… I have two. Ne'esia and, and Alena. Alena is, is younger than me. She's… she's with Shianis and, and Lineris. Ne'esia is, is… dead," she said. Cnasius watched the asari, noting the way she wrapped her arms around herself./p

p"Do you… want to talk about it?" he asked. Nyxanis glanced at him, then away./p

p"No… no, not really. I… I can tell you… about Alena, but… not Ne'esia," She said. "Not now."/p

p"... alright," Cnasius said. There was some minutes of silence between them before Nyxanis went on./p

p"Alena is… dangerous. But not… not very smart. She's… arrogant. Thinks she can, can become a goddess," the asari said. "But Lineris… Lineris is, is alright. She just… just wants to be free. She always, always talked about her mother's garden. I think she just, just wanted to… grow things."/p

p"She couldn't do that on Zesmeni?" Cnasius asked. Nyxanis sighed./p

p"We had… had gardens but… she missed the, the work, of growing things… outside," she said. "And… and her mother, I think."/p

p"Well who wouldn't miss their mother…" Cnasius said, almost to himself. /p

p"I don't," Darajul replied, sneering. Cnasius turned to look at her as she kept at her weapon. "Wah, wah, wah, I don't get to see my mommy. I just get to live in the lap of luxury, never having to worry about providing for myself. Woe is fucking me."/p

p"You do realize no one was talking to you, right?" Cnasius asked. Darajul barked a laugh./p

p"Right, because that's supposed to stop me," she said. "You two want to whine about your problems, do it somewhere else. I'm sick of this bullshit; little miss perfect asari moping about like she's trying to win a prize for meekness, that krogan asshole acting like he owns the place and you stalking the engineering bay like some kind of insect that attracts mates by brooding."/p

p"What is your problem?" Cnasius asked, stepping up to the batarian. She glowered up at him. /p

p"My problem is you and your sanctimonious revenge," she said. "If it weren't for you, Ariidna would have been able to carry out her plan, assassinate that bitch that birthed me, and I would have been captain of her ship. Now I'm on the run, chasing a bunch of asaris and some shit turians waiting for the message I'll get for betraying my mother. And why? Because some people died? Shit happens. Get over it."/p

pCnasius didn't remember moving. One minute, he was standing to the side of the batarian, listening to her acidic speech, and the next he was holding the woman up by her neck with his robotic arm. Darajul clawed at the limb, glaring./p

p /p

p"Don't talk about my cabal," he said. He didn't recognize his own voice. "You have no idea what you're talking about."/p

p"Fuck you," the batarian said. Cnasius dropped her unceremoniously. She hit the floor, gasping and massaging her neck. The turian turned, to see Nyxanis staring in shock. He felt shame blossom like a spurt of blood in the pit of his stomach, but buried it. This wasn't like him, but he couldn't apologize. Not after what Darajul had said. /p

pInstead, he stormed into the nearest door. It turned out to be the medbay, and he was surprised to find familiar faces. /p

p"Oh, good, needed to check up on the arm," Dr. Barbok said, ushering Cnasius over to sit. "Any pain? Malfunctions? Causes for concern?"/p

p"No," Cnasius said. Jos'koya stood at a terminal in one corner of the room, taking inventory from what the turian could tell. "What are you doing here?"/p

p"Wrur asked," Barbok said. "Very persuasive, for a krogan. Don't worry about the clinic, gave it to a friend. Said he needed a challenge."/p

p"That's one way of looking at that shit hole," Jos'koya replied. "I was just looking for an excuse to get into space again."/p

p"Again?" Cnasius asked. Jos'koya snorted./p

p"I used to be a commando," she said. "I was discharged for dishonorable conduct. Best I could do after was this pathetic excuse for a doctor and Omega's clinic."/p

p"You act like I asked you," Barbok replied, doing a full check up on Cnasius meanwhile. "As I recall, you needed my help to become a doctor yourself. No training, you see."/p

p"Training my ass," Jos'koya replied. "Barbok wanted to come along because that arm of yours is his crowning achievement. He wants to see how it does. Your krogan friend barely even had to prod."/p

p"With you insisting we stay all the while," Barbok replied. "There. All done. Healthy, at least physically."/p

p"And neither of us are shrinks, so don't ask," Jos'koya replied. Cnasius stood, edging his way out of the room as the salarian and asari continued to bicker. He found the common room empty, and wandered over to the viewing window. There was a planet coming into view, brown and blue. He recognized it from what he'd looked up beforehand. Triginta Petra./p

pThe turian leaned against the window. It was a turian colony. He hoped they weren't too late to catch up to the asari./p

p /p

pWhen they landed, they were met by a female turian with green facial markings. She wore a worn out set of armor, and gave the three who departed the ship, Wrur, Nyxanis, and Cnasius, a once over./p

p"Welcome to Triginta Petra," she said. "I'm Niia Recelus. I'm the local law enforcement here."/p

p"Cnasius Ramtis," the other turian said, shaking her hand. "We don't plan on starting any trouble, officer."/p

p"So you say," Niia replied, eyeing Wrur. The krogan grinned. "Can I ask what your business here is, then?"/p

p"Have you recently seen another asari here?" Cnasius asked. "We just want to ask her some questions."/p

p"Might be that I have," Niia said. "Might be that I like this other asari, and she might not appreciate your questions."/p

p"Please… we, we need to speak with… with her," Nyxanis said. Niia looked at her, and she looked away. The local turian looked back to Cnasius. /p

p"... fine. But no trouble," she said, showing her side arm. Cnasius nodded, and followed as the woman led. The locals, farmers for the most part, eyed them suspiciously. /p

p"Nice place you got here," Wrur remarked. He reached down to scratch Zax, just at the beginning of his neck. The varren made an approving noise. /p

p"We do what we can," Niia said. "I bet we could give Tuchanka a run for its money."/p

pWrur laughed, which surprised the turians./p

p"I take it you've been there," he said. "You should have seen it before."/p

p"Before what?" Niia asked. Wrur grinned. /p

p"Before we blew it up," he said. /p

p"Are you saying you were there for it?" Cnasius asked. Wrur shrugged./p

p"Maybe," he replied. /p

p"That would make you over three thousand years old," Cnasius said. /p

p"You stop counting after the first millennia," the krogan replied, scratching his chin. /p

p"You're joking," Cnasius said. /p

p"Not even… not even my people live, live that long," Nyxanis replied. Wrur chuckled./p

p"True, we usually kill each other before we make it that long," he said. "I'm just lucky. Or unlucky. Depends on who you talk to."/p

p"I think you're full of shit, personally," Niia said, cutting in. "But it's not really any of my business."/p

p"Fair enough," Wrur said, as Zax bounded forward. There was an asari out working in a field, one set apart from the others. Niia nodded towards it./p

p"There she is. I'm watching you three," she said, and let them go ahead alone./p

p"Are you really over three thousand years old?" Cnasius asked as they went. /p

p"Four," Wrur replied. "But, like I said, I don't really keep track. I'm alive, that's what counts."/p

p"Lineris," Nyxanis said, catching the other asari's attention. She looked up, then immediately turned to run. "Wait!"/p

p"We just want to talk," Cnasius said, and Lineris paused, she turned, facing them./p

p"Stay right there," she said. "I haven't done anything wrong!"/p

p"I could argue that," Cnasius said, reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. He glanced down, then at Wrur. The krogan had suggested leaving their weapons behind. He'd reasoned that Cnasius's problem was really with Salotia, and that Lineris might be more willing to talk with them unarmed. And he was right, for the most part. Cnasius was angry with Lineris, but not the way he'd been with Anlonia. It wasn't personal with Lineris./p

p"Please, please Lineris," Nyxanis said, holding her hands up as she stepped forward. "We just, just want to know where… where Shianis and the, the others have gone."/p

p"Why? So this guy can kill them?" Lineris asked. "I just want to be left alone! I won't even talk to the other turians! Ask them! I haven't spoken to any of them!"/p

p"This isn't about them!" Cnasius said, stepping up next to Nyxanis. He really wished he had his weapon. Carrying it so long, he felt naked without it. "Salotia betrayed us. I want revenge."/p

p"Well too bad!" Lineris said. She and Cnasius had both subconsciously activated their biotics. "I just want a normal life! One where I get to choose! It isn't fair to lock me away because I might be a killer!"/p

p"You are a killer!" Cnasius snapped. "You helped kill my cabal!" /p

p"That's different!" Lineris declared. "You would have killed us! Your leader said so!"/p

p"She's not my leader!" Cnasius replied, arm shooting up at the same time Lineris flared up both of hers. Nyxanis ducked down, covering her head, and nearby, Niia drew her sidearm./p

pAnd then there was nothing. Nyxanis slowly looked up, and then blinked in surprise. Wrur sighed./p

p"I said we'd do this peacefully," he said. He'd grabbed Cnasius's arm and jerked it down. The other was up, and glowing with the biotics he was using to hold both Niia and Lineris. "Hold it together, kid."/p

pCnasius struggled against the krogan's grip, then stopped. He glared, then half growled, half sighed as he looked away and closed his eyes. Wrur waited until the glow had died around the turian's arm before he released him. He looked at Lineris, then Niia, and released them from his biotic hold. Niia slowly lowered her weapon, and Lineris let her arms drop. For a while it was silent./p

p"Lineris…" Nyxanis slowly stood. She hugged herself, but forced herself to look the other asari in the eye. "You… you know my, my sister… Alena… Alena will never, will never be… be peaceful. She… you know what, what she's like. Please… I know… I know you just, just want to be free, but… but if, if not for anything else… please, to stop Alena… please, tell us where, where they went."/p

pLineris glared at Cnasius. The turian hadn't opened his eyes, still struggling with himself. Then she looked at Nyxanis. The other asari flinched. Lineris sighed heavily, then turned back to her farming./p

p"The Citadel," she said. "They said they were going to the Citadel."/p

p"Come on, kid," Wrur said, pushing the turian back towards the ship. Cnasius finally opened his eyes, and shot the asari a look over his shoulder as he let himself be led./p

p"I want you have my planet," Niia said, with vehemence./p

p"With pleasure," Cnasius shot back as he passed her./p

p"Thank… thank you, Lineris," Nyxanis said. Lineris snorted, but said nothing. Nyxanis slowly turned away, watching Lineris as she did, and finally turned and ran to catch up to her companions. She looked at Cnasius, then Wrur. With a gulp, she spoke. "I… I didn't know you, you had biotics, Wrur."/p

p"Tend to keep it close to the belt," the krogan replied. "Makes a nice trump card."/p

p"I… I guess if, if no one knew… it would," Nyxanis replied. There was nothing more she could think of to say, and they reboarded the Amonkira in silence. /p

p /p

pNovius hated Omega./p

pHe had never even been there before and he already hated it with a passion. All the illegal things he saw happening he couldn't stop because it wasn't illegal here. And he didn't have the manpower. Or the time. And they taunted him. They saw him, his ship, his uniform, and they shut down. Or got angry. He'd heard more than one call of 'fuck the police'. Usually before someone threw something at him. They never actually hit him, thanks to his companion./p

pDahlira seemed to be enjoying herself. She smiled at the harassing comments directed at her, usually just before someone ended up in a trashcan. They had been asking all over the station for information on four asari and three turians, but either no one had seen them, or no one would tell them. Novius was convinced it was the later. /p

pThat was when a batarian in gold armor stormed into market place and fired into the air to get everyone's attention./p

p"One hundred thousand credits to anyone who can tell me where a drell bitch went with a krogan, a one armed turian, an asari and a batarian!" she called out. It was dead silent, and then they were on her like flies. She passed them off her men, standing to the side. Novius looked her over, then looked at Dahlira./p

p"You don't think…?" he asked. The Justicar shrugged. /p

p"Even if it was related," she said. "Do you really want to work with that?"/p

p"It's not like we've been able to find anything else…" Novius grumbled, but Dahlira had a point. He groaned, watching the batarian woman listening to various information. "Besides, that wouldn't cover the other three asari, or the other two turians."/p

p"Unless they were looking for them," someone said, causing the turian and the asari to turn. A volus trundled up to them, a datapad in hand. "I couldn't help but overhear. Harla Verlain, at your service."/p

p"And what kind of service would that be?" Novius asked. The volus chuckled, pulling something up on his datapad. He handed it up to Novius./p

p"Is this one of the turians you're looking for?" he asked. It was a security camera still, clearly showing Cnasius and Nyxanis on it./p

p"Yeah, Cnasius Ramtis," he said, tipping the pad so Dahlira could see. "One of yours?"/p

p"Nyxanis T'Leneur," the Justicar replied. The turian handed back the datapad, and Harla accepted./p

p"What do you want, Verlain?" Novius asked, wondering how much this was going to cost him. Harla tapped on his datapad some more./p

p"Well, I could go over there and get a hundred thousand from the good captain," he said. "But you want more information than her, I take it. Why don't we talk somewhere less… public."/p

p"Have you heard of an asari Justicar, Harla?" Dahlira asked. The volus looked her up and down./p

p"Are you threatening me, my dear?" he asked. Dahlira smiled./p

p"If I were threatening you, darling, you would know," she said. Harla tapped his chin, then jumped as a gun was leveled at his head. Captain Tah'hral had stepped between Novius and Dahlira, and smiled cruelly./p

p"If she isn't going to, I am," the batarian said. "Tell me where they went, volus."/p

p"My dear," Harla said, looking at Dahlira calmly. "I believe we can come to an arrangement, don't you?"/p

pDahlira smiled, and Novius groaned. Tah'hral glared at the asari suspiciously, right before the Justicar used her biotics to toss the captain clear across the marketplace. Her men were on them in an instant, civilians fleeing as weapons were drawn./p

p"Was this necessary?" Novius asked, drawing his assault rifle as Dahlira threw up a barrier to block the barrage. She graciously accepted the datapad from Harla, and the volus strolled away./p

p"Look at it this way, Novius," she said. "At least this only costs you ammunition."/p

p"Those are still expensive," the turian replied, raising his weapon. Dahlira pushed out her barrier. The biotics among the batarians managed to stay on their feet, and Novius fired on them. Dahlira surged forward, surrounding herself with an offensive biotic barrier as she tore through their ranks. In a matter of minutes, the batarians were all either dead, injured or gone. Dahlira frowned at the blood covering her as she walked back to Novius./p

p"Your ship has a shower, right?" she asked. Novius sighed, holding out his hand for the datapad. Dahlira gave it to him as they turned, walking towards the docking bay./p

p"If you didn't get so close, you wouldn't need it as much," he replied, looking through the information. Dahlira frowned again./p

p"I can't help that I like punching things," she said. Novius sighed and rolled his eyes. /p

p"Yes, we have showers," he said at last. About twenty minutes after they had left, Captain Tah'hral limped up to her deceased men. She had an assault rifle in her arm, and she snarled at one of the groaning batarians. She kicked him, and something cracked as he rolled away with a gasp. /p

p"C-captain," a female batarian crept from where she'd taken cover. "They overwhelmed us, captain; it was the asari, she-"/p

pTah'hral leveled her rifle and shot the woman in the face. She let her arm drop, then shook her head./p

p"If any of you can still walk, I suggest moving your asses," she said, striding forward as well as she could. "We're leaving."/p

p /p

pSalotia sighed. She was piloting the Scavenger. They would need to get a new ship soon. They probably should have left her at Omega, but some sentiment had stopped the former kabalim from selling the ship. /p

p"Something wrong, my love?" Shianis asked, draping an arm over the turian's shoulder as she slid next to her. Salotia glanced at her, back outside. She didn't speak for some time./p

p"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked. "The Citadel…"/p

p"Is a big place, my love," Salotia said, caressing the turian's cheek. "We can disappear there." /p

p"We could have done that on Omega," Salotia said. "Or even Triginta Petra, if we went far enough. There are thousands of habitable planets without large settlements. Why are we going to the Citadel?"/p

p"Oh, my love," Shianis said, kissing the side of the turian's face. "It's true, I know, but they would have expected us on Omega. It would have only been a matter of time there."/p

p"I suppose you have a point…" Salotia said with a sigh. /p

p"And could you ever be happy, scrounging for sustenance on some lonely world, forgotten on the edge of the galaxy?" Shianis asked. "You're a powerful warrior, my love. You were meant for greater things than a hut in a forest somewhere."/p

p"I… you're right," Salotia said. "I apologize, I just…"/p

p"Shh, no need for apologies," Shianis said. "This is all new, I understand. It's a lot to take in."/p

p"It's a big change," Salotia said. /p

p"And change can be good," Shianis said. "Isn't change what you wanted, my love?"/p

p"Yes, of course it is," the turian replied. Shiania saighed, caressing Salotia's face again./p

p"It will be alright, my love," she said. "Once we're settled, you'll see."/p

p"If you say so," Salotia said. Shianis sighed, and slipped away, leaving the turian to fly the ship. On her way to the common area, she ran into Alena. The other asari grinned./p

p"Done playing with your toy, Shi-shi?" she asked. Shianis frowned./p

p"Don't talk about her like that," she said. Alena laughed./p

p"Oh, don't tell me you actually fell in love with the stiff," she said. Shianis glared. /p

p"Of course not," she said. /p

p"Then what's the problem, Shi-shi?" Alena asked. "I'm only being honest."/p

p"We owe a lot to Salotia," Shianis said. "She betrayed her unit for us."/p

p"For you, you mean," Alena said. "You've got her wrapped around your little finger. Admit it, you love having her enamored with you."/p

p"I'm just making sure we get to the Citadel," Shianis replied, brushing past her fellow asari. Alena laughed again./p

p"Tell yourself what you want, Shi-shi," she said. Then she had a thought, and smiled wickedly. "Of course, when you're done with her, maybe I'll-"/p

p"If you come anywhere near her I will kill you," Shianis said, spinning and pinning Alena to the wall by her neck. Alena chuckled. /p

p"Pretty strong words, considering you don't care for her," she said. Shianis glared, then let her go. /p

p"When we get to the Citadel, you're on your own," she said, turning away. Alena shrugged./p

p"Fine. I like it better that way," she said. Shianis left her alone, moving to the common area of the ship. There was an observation window, and she looked outside at the stars. /p

p"Shianis," Salotia said, sometime later. The asari wasn't sure how much time had passed, and turned to look at the turian. Salotia stepped next to her, and Shianis wordlessly wrapped her in an embrace. "We'll be there soon."/p

p"Do you really think we could make it on one of those abandoned worlds?" she asked. Salotia returned the asari's embrace. /p

p"I do," she said, and Shianis nodded against the turian's shoulder. They stood like that for some time, and did not speak./p


End file.
